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Although many will be celebrating the New Year on December 31, New Yorkers know that's really just the beginning of a month of parties. A few weeks later, starting on January 29, the city will be out again for the Lunar New Year, a holiday that originated in China and is celebrated in many countries with large Chinese diasporic populations, including Vietnam and Malaysia.
The holiday lasts roughly two weeks and, in New York, it will end with a giant parade featuring lion dancers, drummers and other performers in Chinatown on February 16.
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This upcoming Lunar New Year is the year of the snake, which applies to those born in 1941, 1953, 1977, 1989, 2001 and 2013. In the Chinese zodiac, the snake represents wisdom and transformation, since the animals tend to shed their skins. That is all to say: this year might be a good time to let go of the past and fully lean into your future self.
The Lunar New Year parade in 2025 will start at 1pm on Mott and Canal Streets on Chatham Square and will continue through East Broadway before ending next to Sara D. Roosevelt Park.
One of the best parts of the parade is seeing the lion dancers perform in front of different small businesses across Chinatown, a tradition that seeks to bring them good luck and abundance in the coming year. According to ABC News, over 25,000 people are expected to join in on the celebration.
It's never too early to plan, so make sure to keep an eye on our Lunar New Year hub as the date approaches.